THE JONATHAN CORWIN HOUSE
Also known simply as the Witch House, this 17th century home is a fine example of a grand first-period home and is the only building still standing in Salem with a direct connection to the 1692 witch trials.
Judge Jonathan Corwin served on the Court of Oyer and Terminer and was involved in investigating the claims of witchcraft and in handing down the sentences of execution. It is thought that some of the interviews he conducted were held in this house.
Threatened with destruction when North Street was widened in 1942, the house was saved by a group of concerned citizens who formed what is now Historic Salem, Inc., one of the country’s oldest civic preservation groups. HSI gave the house to the City of Salem, which has operated it as a house museum since 1948.
In 2009, Mayor Kimberley Driscoll proposed and the Salem City Council voted for a ticket surcharge on this City-owned property in order to support the Foundation’s operations and non-award programs.
For additional information about the Witch House, click here.
For directions, click here.
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